


Spritzer's Cove

by PseudoFox



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Anthropomorphic, Awkwardness, Comedy, Drama, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Furry, Humor, Interspecies Romance, Major Original Character(s), Minor Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Snark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-27 04:34:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19783354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PseudoFox/pseuds/PseudoFox
Summary: Zootopia's Canal District offers many opportunities for partygoers to hang out as they enjoy life and admire the watery sights. One particular otter hopes that he can find romance as he makes his way atop a fancy boat to a high-class shindig. At the same time, however, his many self-doubts seem to give him a warning that many things can go wrong.





	Spritzer's Cove

The Zootopian sunset shot out waves of vibrant colors across the various interlocked lakes, ponds, rivers, and the like that made up the picturesque little corner of the metropolis called 'Spritzer Cove'. An immense boat covered in smart-looking grey and black stripes and topped off with twin high-powered motors headed off into the Cove's largest lake. From the shaking flags covered in with bright corporate logos to the barely-rusted nature of the anchor strapped to the boat's side, everything screamed 'new money'. A private party of young mammals and their friends— some with more benefits than others— hung out together as a gentle breeze wafted over the various decks.

Some of those invited had little connection to the tall, strapping wolves that owned the boat and had set up the party. Those mere acquaintances frequently found themselves drawn away from the main dancing area over to the big chairs positioned at various corners of the boat. In particular, a nervous wreck of an otter named Ollie walked about in a large semi-circle before plopping himself down as he clutched yet another red solo cup. He had finally ventured over to the huge boat's starboard side after muttering some self-confidence boosters to himself.

Ollie never would have showed up in the first place if it hadn't have been the pleading of a certain moongoose for company. That very mammal hadn't even spent a full half hour partying with the otter— the mongoose coming across a pretty, long-haired opossum and quickly heading back to shore, likely to a nearby motel. Ollie had gotten stranded on his own in exactly the kind of social situation that he'd long rehearsed for in the mirror.

All of that preparation hadn't helped much. His snarky lines fell flat among the groups of tight-knit friends that didn't particularly enjoy him adding himself to their conversations. He'd only had the emotional strength to try that a few times before winding up sticking to the sidelines.

As time passed, mammal after mammal gyrated to the thumping sounds that boomed over the entire scene. Ollie quietly vowed not to lose his cup as he spotted a group of slinky prey mammals wiggling in circular motion. He sucked in a deep breath— poising his body into a 'cool kid' bend despite his surging anxiety— and slowly stepped over. His big, wrap-around sunglasses helped give him a small facade of confidence. He knew that he couldn't spend the rest of the entire evening a mere wallflower.

"Your first time? I don't think I've ever seen you anywhere in the canal district before," chimed in a voice from behind him.

Ollie got surprised enough to spill a bit of his booze upon his plain black shirt. He spun around and witnessed a beautiful mink with huge, looping earrings of bright silver and a matching set of cute eyeglasses. Her pink t-shirt— complete with psychedelic swirls going off in all directions— completed her look perfectly. They locked eyes. The moment felt right out of a cheesy rom-com.

"Oh... hey..." Ollie muttered, his heart pounding.

"Wanna dance? Looks like they're finally putting on some synthwave!" She clutched his right arm tightly, the mink clearly being unwilling to wait for an answer. 

Ollie figured that a girl as assertive as her probably would start doing whatever moves he'd need to know. Thus, he could simply watch her intently and then copy her seductive body's delicate twists and turns. At least, well, that's what he planned to do.

In truth, she pretty much wiggled herself all around his body as if he was standing still. He had little reason to complain, though. Downing some more liquid courage, Ollie gazed upon her tight shorts and felt her earrings clinking up against his neckline. Sweat began to pool across the top of his huge sunglasses.

"You're... really great, wow," Ollie remarked, knowing that he had to say something.

"Thanks," she replied, and she slapped her paws together before matching eyes with the otter once again, "and you know that you don't have to be still as a ladder, right? It's getting late. Let your hair down, mammal."

"I'm just... stunned by you," Ollie squeaked out, the otter feeling his sweaty sunglasses sliding a bit off, "I'm like a mosquito on a bug zapper. I'm dead." He mentally kicked himself immediately at the weird choice of words.

The mink laughed. "You're silly. I like that." She immediately shot a long stare over at a far corner of the boat. "Unlike some other mammals... whom I won't name."

Ollie tried to glance over to that same spot. He witnessed a chubby-looking beaver with an expensive suit and tie grinding up aggressively upon a thoroughly drunken wolfess. The way in which the tall predator pressed her cleavage against the side of the beaver's face left it clear what the two mammals would be doing later that night.

"Yeah, it's better to, uh," Ollie began, his brain straining for something remotely confident to say, "not have the night ruined."

"Exactly!" The mink twirled herself around Ollie's body and finally leaned up against his left side. "And it's not everyday that I meet somebody that's one of the investors!"

"Investors," Ollie repeated. He didn't like the sound of that word.

"You guys— with your trademark sunglasses and all," the mink continued, tapping the otter's forehead, "that own so much lakefront property? With the company having that seashell icon on your flag? I forget what your outfit is called, sorry! But I've spotted at least three of you so far!"

"Yeah, we're... a cool, tight-knit set," Ollie lied. He strained his brain to think of what he knew about finance and economics in order to best impersonate one of those big-city, high-flying mammals. It wasn't much.

"There's that preppy-looking coyote over by the port side," the mink muttered, getting lost in thought herself, "hey, let's head over and see how he's doing!"

"Girl, wait," Ollie barked, clutching the mink's left arm. She looked thoroughly confused but remained silent for a moment. The otter went on. "I'm here to relax and, well, get away from work mammals. You know? Let's just stay in our little corner, together."

She simply nodded back. The otter took in a breath as a small wave of relief flashed across his body. Yet that only lasted a few seconds. The mink clutched his right paw and aggressively twirled him around. Hearing the booming music switching up to a powerful, bass-boosted track, Ollie tried wiggling all of his limbs and thrusting out his chest.

The mink kept on dancing literal circles around him. Ollie simply amped up his wiggling— the otter feeling his bones crinkling beneath his anxiety-covered flesh. The mink finally stopped and broke down.

Ollie stared blankly as she covered her face with her paws. A few tears slid down across her cheeks. An inky blackness of awkwardness surged all through the otter's senses.

"Oh, my God!" She stamped both bottom paws against the boat's firm plastic. "You look like one of those wacky inflatable things at a car dealership!"

"Uh... yes." Seeing the mink taking a half-step away from him, the otter shoved down the urge to whimper like a baby mammal and beg for understanding.

"It's so adorable! I could kiss you!" The mink shot out her paws and rubbed them against his shoulders.

The otter's flesh turned various colors as he struggled to come to terms with what had just happened. He opened his mouth. He hoped that something profound enough to turn that 'could' into a 'will' was prepared to come out.

Instead, a swaggering coyote in a disheveled suit— thick sunglasses halfway falling off of his twisted face— ambled in between the two tube-shaped mammals. The big predator yanked back a half-drunken bottle of wine and dangled it over his head like a trophy before letting out a low moan. The mink froze. The otter froze as well.

"Hey, it's you! The new guy!" Putting on a chipper tone, the coyote pressed the wine bottle against Ollie's right shoulder.

"Yeah, it's... me. That guy. The guy that you and everybody else knows," Ollie stammered as he sweat profusely.

"You're the one who cleared that deal with the WoolMart folks! Saved us all a bundle! How you been tonight?"

"Oh, just relaxing with my new friend here," Ollie said, gesturing behind the coyote. He glanced over and saw that the mink seemed totally frustrated but at a loss for words.

"Got yourself one more hottie? What happens in the canal district stays in the canal district, after all," the big predator remarked. He took a long swig from his bottle and continued on. "I just... my mammal, I can't believe you managed to re-zone all of that rainforest! Ripping right through for all of those new warehouses, damn! Time for a chainsaw massacre!" He mashed his teeth together and let out a twisted groaning sound. "Time for progress!"

"Rainforest," the mink softly repeated, the gears turning in her head.

"And I," the coyote started to say, but his mouth snapped shut as he balanced the wine bottle upon Ollie's forehead. The big predator stuck his nose into the bottle's open end and made a gigantic frown. "Oh, come on! All the flavor! The texture! It's already gone! I've got to find Reggie and grab a whole new one, damn it!"

"Damn it," Ollie repeated, trying not to move a muscle.

The coyote grabbed the bottle once again and spun around, heading up a set of stairs to the main section of the boat. "See you later, new guy!" It took only a split-second before he had merged back into the massive crowd where most partygoers had gathered.

"You... you and your ilk," the mink suddenly spat out, anger flashing over her features, "you're not just trust fund babies, then? Oh, no, you're one of the ones responsible for that freaking 'transverse avenue' thing?"

"I... uh... and... come again," whimpered Ollie, the otter shivering in place.

"Your ilk!" The mink smacked a paw against the otter's chest. "You're the ones chopping up a full fourth of the rainforest down! Tearing apart my family's homes along with all of their neighbors' places, for what? Just to make a tiny bit more money!"

"Uh... sorry?" Ollie held up his arms sheepishly.

"My Goddamn cheating boyfriend with his Goddamn cheating friends and those preppy, champagne-clinking, sunglasses-at-night-wearing, aristocratic bastards," the mink grumbled, her body shaking profusely with raw passion, "I swear to God I'm going to sink this boat!"

"Please, hold on," Ollie whispered, feeling at a loss for words.

"Sink this boat!" The mink had raised her voice to a shriek. She immediately turned tail and headed straight for the bridge.

An abrupt wave nearly knocked the otter clear over the side and right into the water. He managed to catch himself in time, however, and he tightly clutched the railing before making a long, frustrated sigh. He then glared at his rippling reflection.

"Just me, myself, and I, now," Ollie muttered. He knew that he'd eventually wander on back to a certain place on the boat's far front— getting even more alcohol while chatting up the bartender, that fellow otter being the only canal district native that he'd really related to. Yet Ollie forced himself to remain still for a while as he tried his best to quash his raging emotions.

Finally, the party's omnipresent music shifted to something more Ollie's wavelength. The rippling guitar sounds causing his body to sway a little, he wiped his face with both paws. He then stepped onto a set of stairs and walked up to the boat's bridge.

Unfortunately, the bartender seemed nowhere to be found. The bunch of other tube mammals that might've made for good conversation, at least, appeared so drunk that they could barely breathe. Stepping over their prostrated bodies, Ollie scanned the rest of his surroundings. He definitely didn't want to try to dance again. That part of the boat seemed covered in larger predators that might literally step on him too.

"Alright, none of you big business pukes move!"

"Oh, God no," Ollie murmured. He shifted his head straight backwards, and a massive frown plopped across his face.

It was the mink. She'd somehow gotten herself a flare gun, and she'd aimed it right at a massive metal hump of bending hoses and wires that looked fairly important. Rage burned in her eyes.

"I've got every intention of blowing this entire boat to kingdom come if you guys don't hear me!" She shivered in place for a few seconds before kicking the air. "You're all going to listen about the plight of the entire rainforest, and you're going to listen right freaking now!"

Somebody switched off the music. The massive crowd of mammals duly remained still and watched the mink intently. Most of them appeared confused rather than either frustrated or scared. The rest seemed too drunk to care about anything other than lounging about.

"Now, then," the mink began, clearing her throat, "let's begin at the beginning. When Zootopia was just a glorified watering hole where different species tolerated each other, well, the whole area looked like the massive river basin that it was." She rolled her eyes back as she got a bit lost in thought— the mammal appearing to recall something she'd heard in a high school class many years ago. "But everything changed once the deer and lions both mutually decided to..."

A burst of flames shot into the air. Everybody, the mink included, jumped in shock. Ollie took a gulp.

"Holy hell!" The flare gun dropped out of the mink's paws like a hot potato. "The hair trigger on this thing!"

"Uh," one of the sunglasses-equipped coyotes standing a few steps away from Ollie started to say, "what now?"

As if on cue, the fire immediately spread from the hunk of machinery to nearby slabs of plastic— the flames setting off in little trails on the boat's bow in a matter of seconds. Gasps sounded off all over. Ollie remained still, but he heard the trademark scrambling and scuffling of raw panic beginning.

"Abandon ship!"

"God help us!"

"I'm too rich to die!"

"I swear in the name of everything holy I'm not dying when I'm still a virgin!"

Forcing everybody else out of his mind, Ollie eyed the shore only a few yards from the edge of the boat's starboard side. He sighed profusely. He then ran out with full force right over the railing into the water.

"And mammals ask me," Ollie cried out in frustration, his quick paddles bringing him to land within less than a minute, "why I don't go out more often."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks very much for reading!
> 
> I want to give a special shout-out to the excellent artist known as Fuel, the Ollie the otter character originally being just one of his many creations!


End file.
